Only a year later
Hard to imagine that Ubisoft only took a year to bring out a sequel that was better than the original, it’s even harder to imagine that Ubisoft could release a third instalment to an already successful franchise in just over a year that not only betters it’s previous incarnations but totally revamps and adds even more. Here is a world of shadows, conspiracies and sabotage – Welcome to Sam Fisher’s life.
The year is 2008, technology has grown so fast that information is now more valuable than gold and has become the most dangerous threat to national and global security. NSA have become concerned over this information warfare and are willing to send in their best black-ops agent – Sam Fisher, to gather intelligence by all means possible.
Gameplay:
One can not help but compare Chaos Theory (CT) to Pandora Tomorrow (PT) when trying to explain what’s good and bad about this game, so just remember that, as you continue to read about what could possibly be the best game of the year on the Xbox.
The main offline feature of the game is the “Story”, where you are thrust into the high adrenaline world of Sam Fisher. Prior to each mission you are briefed by your boss, Lambert, as to what your primary objectives are. Now here is the first difference between CT & PT, you are given the choice of whether you want to take Stealth or an Assault approach to the mission. Choosing either one will bias your equipment towards that option; an assault approach would mean more ammo for your SC20K rifle whereas a stealth option would give you quieter means of rendering an enemy unconscious or dead. There is always the third option which is a recommended pack that is a nice balance between both, providing you with at least one of each tool that can be attached and fired from your rifle. There is no need to worry if you think you have chosen wrongly, as ammo and other gadgets can be found through out the missions, if you look hard enough.
The other weapons at your disposal are a silenced pistol and a knife. The pistol is also equipped with an electrical jamming device which to the more stealthy players out there will be used quite frequently as they can disrupt lighting for a few seconds instead of shooting out the bulbs and making a noise. The knife is no longer just for show as it was in Pandora but can be used in close range attacks on any enemy as well as cutting your way thru paper walls and the back of tents. Along with Sam’s new knife attacks, he has learnt quite a few new moves that can easily dispose an unsuspecting enemy ranging from an inverted neck break to dramatic ledge throws.
Each level has a multitude of paths that can be taken in order for you to complete your primary objectives, but on most missions there are secondary objectives as well as an additional bonus objective. These extras do not have to be completed to finish the level but you will get penalised on your rating if you do not succeed. The rating system is based on how many enemies you have killed or knocked unconscious, how many times you were spotted, the number of alerts that have been sounded and the amount of bodies that have been found. These ratings will probably appeal more to the hardcore gamer rather than the casual gamer who just wants to finish the game.
Another feature that has a major influence on how you play is the game saves. Unlike Pandora Tomorrow where you had to reach a save point in order to save your progress, Chaos Theory lets you choose when you want to make a quick save. This is great especially if you have just managed to succeed a difficult moment in the mission but on the negative side, it also allows players to abuse the system by saving continuously. The choice is yours!!
The biggest challenge for any game in this genre is how intelligent should the opponent AI (Artificial Intelligence) be. In Pandora Tomorrow, the enemy would start shooting at anything that made a noise and asked questions later, leaving very little room for error on the part of the player. In Chaos Theory; the AI asks questions first before shooting. The enemy will investigate the disturbance such as a broken light before returning to cautiously its usual routine and if a fire fight should occur than they will move into a strategic place along with their fellow comrades to try and outflank you. On other rarer occasions, you would think the enemy is completely stupid as you can grab a soldier from behind whilst he is following his buddy and his friend would not even notice or turn around to see what has just happened. It’s a fine line to get right but Ubisoft in my opinion have achieved a fine balance which will allow CT to appeal to a wider range of gamers.
Not content with just a “Story”, Ubisoft have included a new “Co-Op Multiplayer” mode which is accessible via system link, split-screen or Xbox LIVE, this new mode allows you and a friend to both be spies who must work together to accomplish the objectives set out prior to the mission. This concept is brand new to the Splinter Cell franchise, so there is a tutorial which must be completed by both players before commencing any of the four missions available. During this tutorial you will be taught the importance of team work and all the new special moves such as scaling walls that are too high to climb alone and using your partner as a human torpedo, which can only be achieved when working in tandem. Don’t forget these new moves as varieties of them can also be used in the “Versus” mode online.
The last feature is called “Versus” not content on just recreating the same experience that was found in Pandora Tomorrow, Ubisoft have expanded the range of game modes and maps. There are 11 maps in total, six new and five Pandora Tomorrow maps that have been revamped. Each of the new maps is more interactive with so many switches, paths, air ducts and crawl spaces that you could easily become lost. There are three game modes online but no longer have you got “Neutralisation”, “Sabotage” and “Extraction” as separate game-plays because these three features have all been combined into the “Story” mode. The second mode is called “Disk Hunt” where as a spy you must collect computer disks that have been randomly scattered through out the map. Then there is the final mode called “Deathmatch”. No need to explain much about this mode, the title says it all. Another major difference in the “Versus” mode is the ability to heal your team mate and even exchange equipment. Lastly, no longer will the spies be the only ones able to taunt an opponent; this ability to trash talk is now available to both the Merc and the spies.
Graphics:
I thought Ubisoft had created the best graphics ever when they had released Pandora Tomorrow but somehow they have managed to better themselves yet again, pushing the boundaries of the Xbox even further. The quality and representation of each mission whether that be “Co-Op” or “Story”, as well as the maps for “Versus” are of the highest level. The lighting and shadows which are essential to this type of game are so realistic that whilst playing in the co-op, I knew that my friend was behind me whilst running down a corridor due to his shadow appearing in front of me (the light was behind us). An advanced physics engine has been used in the production of this game allowing rag doll and particle effects with perfect interaction with the environment.
Sound:
You can describe the sound in Chaos Theory in one word – Excellent. Every environmental sound has been catered for and presented in such detail and adds to the overall realism to the game. Not only does it increase the atmosphere but with the new sound meter, it has become an important aspect to the game allowing you to judge how much noise you can make without drawing attention to yourself and alerting the enemy. Of course, on some occasions you might want to draw out the enemy and the ability to whistle has been brought over from Pandora Tomorrow. Communications within the “Co-Op” mode between players has an effect on the noise awareness and players can now shout through their headsets to draw a guard’s attention in order to set him up for an ambush.
Background music or musical score has always played a big part in creating an atmosphere. In Chaos Theory, the music’s tempo falls and rises to coincide with the action and reaches a crescendo when a fire fight erupts. This only enhances the experience further.
Many a game falls short when it comes to the voice acting but yet again, Michael Ironside again provides the gruff sounding voice of Sam Fisher and Ubisoft have managed to enlist the aid of Dennis Haysbert famed for his role in 24, to play Sam’s boss Lambert. More humour has been injected into all of the characters which makes them seem more human and gives them greater depth than previously seen in the franchise.
Longevity:
The single player game has only 11 missions and can be completed in less than 10 hours BUT, that’s if you are a gung ho Rambo kind of player who doesn’t overly care if they are spotted, leave bodies lying around and wouldn’t think twice about making enough noise to wake the dead. The game has three difficulties with a rating system to show how well you have done and if you are a perfectionist, it is possible that the single player game could take you extensively longer to complete. Also with multiple paths, secondary objectives and bonuses the replay value is superb. Then there is the co-op mode with only four missions but yet again multiple paths are present, leaving no two games alike. If that wasn’t enough, then there is always Xbox Live with an additional three game modes. Enough life has been pumped into this game with the prospect of additional downloadable content in the future.
Round Up:
I am truly amazed at how this game can interest nearly all types of gamers with the ability to play Chaos Theory either by stealth or action. Then you have multiplayer co-op and versus modes via Live for those who like to only play games with friends. Ubisoft have truly raised the bar by showing the community what makes a near perfect game. Nothing is perfect but this is damn well close.
Pros:
Multiple paths on every mission.
Excellent sound all in dolby digital 5.1
Co-Op offline and on Xbox LIVE.
Superb storyline with brilliant visuals and animation.
Cons
None that can be considered damaging